This is just a "what would you do" and in the end I am going to do what I decide is best for now.

I'm in the Bahamas on way slowly to the Caribbean. The other day after shutting off the engine there was an "odd" smell so I checked the engine. The only thing at time I found was there were salt deposits that hadn't been there and I thought maybe a hose clamp was loose or a hose was leaking so checked for all those. Later while motoring I rechecked and found that there is a crack on the engine heat exchanger seawater outlet flange (the one that sends the water over to the the exhaust elbow).

So I looked for a way to clean it up and seal it as best as I could. Now this would seem to be a JB Weld job, but I don't have any of that. I have regular 2 part epoxy and various caulk type sealants. I was going to go the epoxy route but decided that this leak was a low pressure leak in nature. In looking at the choices I had available I decided to go with this West Marine 8600 sealant adhesive as it is super sticky and dries to be almost a plastic.

This seems to have worked and I have motored 6 hours now with it not dripping any water.

Now I'm near Nassau so this is the best I'm going to find to be able to do a better solution till the Dominican Republic. I feel the choices are:
1- replace with an OEM flange. The best answer I feel and probably $$$.
2-find a machine shop to make a new one. The OEM appears to be some type of nickel/bronze/SS as it isn't magnetic. Over the years I've read good and bad stories or shops making things like this
3- find a good shop to weld/braze the crack. To me the risk of this is goes back to the metal material and the danger that it will stress the flange to just fail later in middle of nowhere
4 - continue as I am with the 8600 that is working and I have more of till I can do #1

Maybe a picture or schematic of this would help, but I'm assuming it is a low-pressure, low-temperature part?

If so, weld/braze often works permanently, and many have gone forever on a JB weld type fix.

I definitely would not be doing any machine shop stuff in Nassau.

So I would keep going as is, but pick up some JB weld in Nassau because if the other stuff fails, I think that is a better bet. Then I would price the new part and if it isn't onerous, buy new. If eye-popping price, when someplace with a metal guy I trusted, I'd get it brazed/welded.

From the description of the metal and where it is being used, I believe it is monel. I believe it requires TIG welding and even at that, it isn't the easiest metal to weld.
If you can't find a shop that has an experienced TIG welder in Nassau, I'd probably go for a new flange, rather than taking a chance of another failure at a more inconvenient time.

"Any idiot can make a boat go; it takes a sailor to stop one." Spike Africa aboard the schooner Wanderer in Sausalito, Ca. 1964.
“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” ― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

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If it's a copper/bronze I'd get it brazed, Any decent refrigerator guy could do it .P.icture would help .May recquire a bit of finesse if the machined gasket face is involved but doable (file) Gets much more tricky if we are talking about the body

Not really looking for how to “fix” my problem as i know the only real way to fix it. This thread is really just a “what would YOU do” in the conditions and choices listed.

And it is hard to just disregard the “caulk” answer given it has worked for like 6 hours engine run time and isnt likely to just fail.

Btw that crack goes through the flange area and down toward one of the hose connections. Even if it cracks all the way it isnt going to just fall apart as most of it would have the hose on it and be clamped together.

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